


New Beginnings

by namedghouleh



Series: This World Of Ours [1]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Boners, Blood and Injury, Eating Paint, Emotional Hurt, Feral Behavior, Fighting, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Masturbation, spells
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:40:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29365641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/namedghouleh/pseuds/namedghouleh
Summary: The story of how Dewdrop met Aether, and how they developed their relationship.
Relationships: Aether | Quintessence Ghoul & Dewdrop Ghoul | Fire Ghoul
Series: This World Of Ours [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155257
Comments: 12
Kudos: 17





	1. New Beginnings

Panting, Dewdrop crept along the halls of the old church, just having broken out of his cell in the basement. He was freezing his tail off, only clad in shorts that had definitely seen better days. He needed to get out of here, he'd been stuck down there for probably years now. His extremely long hair fell in front of his eyes, but when he tried to shake it out of his face, the matted pieces tangled together even worse, leaving him unable to see. 

Suddenly, he heard voices and footsteps to his right. He froze in place, hoping they wouldn't see him and take him back, his tail trembled at the thought of being forced back. Caught in his blind panic, he didn't realize his tail thumped against the wall, alerting the voices near him.

"Hey wait, who's that?" He heard a warm voice ask, it sounded like liquid honey and vanilla.

"I don't know, but he looks awful. Come on, I'm hungry." A second voice spoke, this one decidedly not as lovely as the first voice.

Dewdrop tensed, definitely caught now. He started to panic, claws ripping at the hair in front of his eyes. Every muscle was drawn tightly, ready to kill whoever tried to take him back. A pair of footsteps came closer.

Finally, Dewdrop removed his hair from his face, bleeding where his sharp claws had scratched the skin. "Fuck, you're bleeding, are you okay?" The warm voice asked, it belonged to a plump looking ghoul. Dewdrop eyed him, appreciating his form, but wary nonetheless.

Warm Voice lifted his hands, showing he meant no harm. "I won't hurt you, I'd like to take a look at your wounds though. They might get infected if you don't treat them." He stepped closer, causing Dewdrop to growl at him, flashing his fangs and sharp claws. Warm Voice didn't seem scared, only stepping closer slowly.

"Aether, be careful, you don't even know if he understands you! Just let him be!" The voice behind them called, trying to avoid a fight.

"I'll be fine, you go ahead and eat, I'll eat later." Aether, apparently, called back while keeping his eyes fixed on Dewdrop. He started to get uncomfortable, feeling the two pairs of eyes following his every move, and hissed.

"Fuck man, just leave him be, he clearly doesn't want your help!" The voice said, Dew silently agreed.

"Just go, I'll handle it." Aether insisted. "Fine, your funeral." With those words, the other ghoul walked off. Dewdrop relaxed a bit, confident he could take the thicker ghoul. "I'm Aether, but I'm sure you gathered that already. I'm a healer, please just let me look at you. I'd say you look like you've been through hell, but I know ghouls there look better than you do."

Dewdrop puffed up at those words, he could take care of himself, he didn't need some healer to fix his wounds like some little kit. He spat on the floor in front of Aether's feet, snarling now. Aether quickly took a step back, not sure of his decision anymore.

"I promise I'll be quick, I really want to help you." He smiled at the worryingly skinny ghoul, trying to convince him to let him help. 

Dewdrop lashed out, swiping his claw at Aether with a roar. However, this didn't go as planned at all, he was exhausted and terribly hungry. He lost his footing and fell down in front of Aether, only barely nicking him with his claw.

Confused, he looked up. He didn't understand what just happened, had the bigger ghoul used magic to fight him? He pushed himself up, legs trembling underneath him. "What did you just do to me?" His voice was rough from years of not using it, Aether frowned at the scratchy sound. "I didn't do anything, you tripped."

He looked so calm, it infuriated Dewdrop. "Liar!" He accused Aether, getting ready to pounce on him.

"I really didn't do anything, will you let me help now?'

Dewdrop launched himself at Aether, knocking them both down. Quickly sitting up, he rested his claws on Aether's throat, who just looked at him. "Guess that means no then." Dewdrop hissed in frustration, annoyed that the big ghoul didn't even seem scared of him.

Suddenly, Aether rolled them over, using his weight to pin Dewdrop to the ground. He tried to slash his attacker's throat, but his wrists were quickly caught and pinned down. Dewdrop tried desperately to get free, exhausting himself even more. In his struggle, he lifted himself up and fell back down, his head slamming into the tiles with a gross sound.

Dazed, he stayed down and watched as Aether freaked out. "Fuck, that sounded bad. Okay, keep your eyes on me. I'm going to lift you up, please don't try to escape."

Dewdrop felt too woozy to think about fighting back or escaping, he did feel nauseous, looking paler by the second.

Aether scooped up the wounded ghoul and looked at the blood on the tiles where his head had just been. Looking back at the pale ghoul, he got really worried. "Hey, look at me. You need to stay awake, and please let me know if something's wrong."

Dewdrop groaned in response, swallowing his saliva. Noticing how the smaller ghoul kept swallowing, Aether feared he might throw up soon. "Are you nauseous?" Dewdrop nodded, his stomach twisted while his head throbbed. He closed his eyes against the harsh lights that made him feel impossibly worse.

Aether jogged down the halls to his room, trying to avoid other ghouls, and simultaneously hoping he wasn't hurting the skinny ghoul. Opening his door proved to be difficult, his hands full of limp ghoul. Eventually, he managed to swing it open, kicking it closed behind him seconds later. He gently placed the hurt ghoul on his bed and started getting his workspace ready. Some towels, a few bottles of water, and antiseptic ointment were laid out around them.

"I'm going to touch you now, I'll heal your concussion first, then I'll look at your other wounds." True to his word, Dewdrop felt Aether's warm hands on his head. Then, a weird sensation filled him, disappearing as soon as Aether pulled back.

"Whaddidyoudo?" He mumbled, not having enough energy to speak. "As I said, I healed your concussion. Do you still feel any pain? Nausea?" Dewdrop considered his body and slowly shook his head. "Good, that's great! Now we can focus on the rest of your body. Do you want some water first?" Dewdrop nodded, he couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten fresh water. Aether lifted him up a bit, enough to comfortably place the open bottle to his lips.

Within a few seconds, Dewdrop drained the whole thing, making Aether laugh. It was a rich sound, carefree and innocent. Dewdrop basked in it, not having heard a genuine laugh in years. "You were really thirsty, huh? I'm going to clean you up now."

Again, Aether stayed true to his word. He ran the wet towels over Dewdrop's wounds, careful not to hurt him. The once aggressive ghoul started purring at the gentle treatment, only knowing rough treatment on his often broken skin.

Aether broke the comfortable silence. "I told you my name, what's yours?" He kept cleaning and healing the ghoul in front of him. "Dewdrop." Aether looked up, puzzled. "But you have Fire markings? Why do you have a Water name?" "My mom is water." Dewdrop didn't seem to have a lot of energy, and he definitely wasn't wasting it on talking.

"That's interesting, I'd love to hear more about it sometime. Do you want me to brush your hair?" He nodded, his eyes slipping shut. Aether reached over to his nightstand, grateful that he forgot to put back his comb this morning. 

Aether gathered the long hair, it would probably reach Dewdrop's lower back if he brushed it all out. "This might hurt, tell me if I'm too rough, okay?" Aether started working on the split ends, which fell onto the towel in his lap. A sleepy yawn from the tired ghoul sufficed as his reaction. Humming a song his tribe used to sing, Aether got to work. The calming motion and sounds lulled Dewdrop to sleep within minutes.

Dewdrop woke up an hour later to Aether running the comb through the length of his hair, checking for any leftover knots or tangles. "Oh you're awake, you're all done!" Dewdrop smiled around the tail in his mouth. He froze, realizing he must've moved his tail in his sleep. Aether noticed the sudden change in the previously relaxed ghoul. "What's wrong Dew?"

Dewdrop flinched and whipped his tail away from his mouth, panic settling in. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" He cried out, shielding himself from the inevitable punishment. Aether took a step back, giving the obviously distressed ghoul some space. "Hey, you're with me, Aether. I took you to my room after you gave yourself a concussion, I healed it for you. I just got done combing your hair, remember? You're safe here, you're safe with me."

The warm voice helped Dewdrop remember what had happened, he dropped his arms from where they protected his face and chest. "Sorry, I didn't mean to freak out like that."

He looked away, embarrassed by his outburst. "Thank you for your help, but I need to go now." Dewdrop stood up on shaky legs, trying to escape again.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Aether laid his hand on his bare shoulder.

"I'm going." Dewdrop bit out, venom lacing his words. "Where to? I'm sorry, but you don't look like you have anywhere to be." Aether observed the trembling ghoul, he looked ready to collapse.

"What do you care?" Dewdrop snarled, trying to scare Aether into leaving him alone. "I just want to help, please stay and eat something." At the mention of food, his stomach made a loud noise. Dewdrop had been caught red-handed. He sat down on the bed, secretly happy to stop having to worry about passing out while standing. "Fine, I could eat." He agreed with Aether, promising himself he'd leave directly after eating.

"Great! Stay here!" Aether leapt to his feet, his excitement was contagious, making Dewdrop fight off a smile. It felt so good to finally be treated normally again, but at the same time, he knew he'd be on his own in just an hour.

Aether came back, with about 20 different snacks in his arms. He dumped them on the bed next to Dewdrop. "I wasn't sure which ones you like, so I got a few different ones." Dewdrop smiled shyly, appreciating the thoughtfulness. "Thanks, I'm not very picky though." He lied, grabbing a random protein bar. Unwrapping it proved difficult, he'd never had to handle human food packages before. Aether looked at him expectantly though, making him tug on the packaging in frustration.

"Do you want some help?" The friendly ghoul offered, holding out his hand. Dew dropped the package into the awaiting hand, paying attention to how Aether opened it.

Aether handed the opened snack back to him. Dewdrop sniffed it, not knowing what to expect. It smelled like honey, just like the bigger ghoul (and it reminded him of the way his voice sounded).

Taking a small bite, Dewdrop sighed at the taste. He'd only been fed tasteless liquids while he was imprisoned, and the delight of tasting something this sweet overwhelmed him. He quickly shoved the entire bar into his mouth, chewing happily and totally oblivious to Aether's shocked face next to him. "Well, I guess you liked that one then. Would you like another one?" Dewdrop nodded at him, looking actually relaxed and happy for the first time.

7 bars later, Aether started to smell cinnamon? None of the bars were supposed to have cinnamon in them. He looked around the room, trying to find the source of the scent when it hit him. It must be Dewdrop's happy scent, he inhaled deeply, enjoying the smaller ghoul's company and comforting scent.

"Thank you for helping me today, you're really kind." Dewdrop got up, accidentally spilling some crumbs on the floor. "Of course, I couldn't leave you there, all bloody and bruised. What were you doing there anyway?" Aether asked. He felt Dewdrop tense up next to him, the sweet scent he was putting out now turning bitter, obviously distressed.

Aether reached out and pulled the small ghoul into his side, forgetting that Dewdrop wasn't used to contact like that. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, it's up to you." Realizing his mistake, Aether started to pull away when he was stopped by a whine, followed by Dewdrop leaning into his side completely. His scent changing back to the sweet cinnamon from before. This made Aether pull him close, laying back on the bed, their feet hanging off the edge.

The tiny ghoul let out a content sigh before whispering, hoping Aether wouldn't hear him. "I escaped." Aether tensed up. "From who? I'll help you fight them off, I promise." Dewdrop barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "The people who summoned me here. I'm not sure we can take them." "We'll try anyway." Aether tried to reassure the smaller ghoul. "Thank you." Came Dew's soft reply.

They laid together in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts but still holding onto each other. Aether broke their silence, worrying he had misread the entire situation. "Does this mean you'll stay with me?" He asked hopefully.

"As long as you'll have me, I'll gladly stay. I also don't really have anywhere else to go, so I guess I'm stuck either way." Dewdrop replied with a smile, the silence had given him some time to reflect, and analyze Aether's intentions. He had come to the conclusion that he could trust the bigger ghoul, who had proven himself to be a very good friend, even to a stranger.

"I could really use a friend," Aether admitted. He felt so lonely during his first weeks on Earth, the other ghouls were summoned in groups way before he was summoned, and he never connected with any of the already formed groups. He found some people to eat with, but never a real friend, who would always be there for him, someone to share his life with. At this point, he had given up on his mission to make friends, they always rejected him. They found him overbearing, they didn't like how he would try to take care of everyone around him. Dewdrop had come in at exactly the right time, as Aether had been considering sneaking out of the Church to escape the loneliness he felt.

"I would love to be your friend, you've been so nice to me. Nobody has ever done that for me before." Dewdrop said while he curled his tail around Aether's leg. The bigger ghoul smiled at the possessive action and pulled Dewdrop closer. "You better get used to it, I don't plan on stopping any time soon." They smiled at each other, both looking forward to their future together.


	2. Lessons To Be Learned

Their first day together turned into a week together where they learned to live with each other. Aether had thought it to be best to hide Dewdrop, and not alert Sister Imperator, for fear of the smaller ghoul being taken away. They shared Aether's big bed, still cuddling up together every night. Aether had shared his collection of music and movies with the small ghoul, enjoying his amazement at all of it. They were bonding wonderfully, both of them delighted at having found such a great friend. The big ghoul stole food from the big kitchen, feeding Dewdrop inhumane amounts of it. His work paid off, Aether could see the skinny frame filling out a bit, his legs finally had some fat to them. Truth be told, Aether could look at the small ghoul all day. He was gorgeous, becoming stronger and more confident every day.

* * *

"Do you want me to cut your hair? The ends are pretty dead, it'd feel a lot better if you cut those off." Aether offered on a lazy afternoon, shaking Dewdrop out of his almost-nap in the sun. "Hmm? Sure, go ahead." He sat up a bit, rubbing his eyes while yawning, the rays of the sun reflected on his sharp fangs. "How do you want me?" Aether blushed, fantasies of bending the small ghoul over and taking him rising up at those words. "Here, take this chair. I'll get the supplies."

Aether went into the bathroom, where he took a steadying breath and tried to get his racing mind under control. Dewdrop didn't need him to have a silly crush, he needed a friend to help him recover. He quickly grabbed a towel, Dew's hairbrush, and his scissors. Bringing them back to the bedroom, he stopped dead in his tracks. He had seen glimpses of Dewdrop's newer body, filled out and healthy-looking (though still pretty skinny), but never shirtless and totally relaxed like this. Aether let his eyes wander, trying to take a mental picture of the elegant lines, soft spots, and hard muscles in front of him.

"Hey, I thought that it'd be better if we didn't get hairs on my shirt." Dewdrop announced with a smile, totally oblivious to Aether's reaction to his body.

This snapped Aether out of his ogling and he quickly started organizing the space. Towel on the floor to catch the hair, scissors ready, another towel over Dew's shoulders, and his brush in hand. Aether realized he probably needed to wet the hair before cutting it, he had seen others do it before. "Wait, I'll be right back."

He came back with a spray bottle, filled with water and sprayed it on Dew's hair, who shivered at the feeling. "I'm sorry!" Aether blushed, not wanting the small ghoul to be uncomfortable. "It's fine, it just surprised me." He replied, it actually felt pretty nice, and he hoped Aether would do it again.

They fell into a comfortable silence, Aether busy soaking and combing the long hair, and Dewdrop loving the feeling of someone playing with his hair. A soft pressure on his lower back brought him back to the present. "Your hair ends here, is it okay if I cut it here?" The pressure moved up, now just below his waist. Dewdrop nodded, not really caring about the length of his hair. "Sure, do what you think would look good." They fell back into silence, only the snip of the scissors to be heard.

Aether stepped back after a while, admiring his work. "You're done! Go check it out!" Dewdrop jumped up at those words, quickly walking over to the mirror in the bathroom. "Woah, you were right, it looks so much better! Thank you, Aether!" Dewdrop's tail swished happily behind him, knocking over a few bottles of soap. "Oh, sorry. I'll get that." He bent over, his worn sweatpants accentuating the curves of his lower body. Aether looked away, not wanting to get a boner in front of his new friend. He cleared his throat. "I'm glad you like it, it's so soft now too." He could touch it all day long if Dew would let him.

Dewdrop turned around, hoping to find Aether looking at him. They had lived together for a week now and he was falling hard. He realized Aether didn't feel the same way about him, his enthusiasm fading. He had tried every possible way of showing off his body to his friend in hopes of seducing him but had no luck so far. He felt rejected, didn't Aether think he was attractive? But they cuddled and were very affectionate, always touching each other. Dewdrop's head spun with the mixed signals.

"I think I'm gonna go for a walk." Dewdrop walked past Aether to the door, the agitated smell of burnt cinnamon rolling off of him. "You know you can't do that, what if someone sees you?" Aether was shocked at his friend's sudden mood swing, not understand what had caused it. "I don't care, I'll see you later."

Dewdrop had never behaved like this before, Aether wanted to make sure Dew would be okay, silently slipping out the door and following him from a distance. It wasn't difficult to keep track of the angry ghoul, his footsteps echoing through the halls. Thankfully, there were no other ghouls in the halls, Aether really didn't want anyone to find out about his roommate.

After a while of following Dewdrop, it seemed like he would never calm down, his footsteps still sounding angry. Aether wondered how long this would go on, but the answer came sooner than expected. A loud thump, followed by the angry voice of Sister Imperator. "Ghoul! How did you escape?"

Aether paled, not expecting Sister Imperator to be Dew's prison keeper. Dewdrop's anxious whimper rang through the halls before a scraping sound could be heard, possibly claws dragging on the stone floor. Aether rounded the corner, seeing Dewdrop crawling away from Sister Imperator with tears in his eyes. This shocked Aether, he'd never seen Dewdrop cry before. What had she done to him during his imprisonment, to elicit such a reaction from the usually strong ghoul? Stepping towards them, Aether prepared himself for a fight.

"Aether! Please don't let her take me!" The smaller ghoul cried, finally noticing his friend. "I won't, I promised to keep you safe." He walked past Dewdrop, who had his shaking body pressed tightly to the wall, and stood in front of him, facing Sister Imperator. She looked him up and down, not appearing very threatened. "Hello Ghoul, I'm afraid your friend belongs to me. Step aside." Her casual announcement made Aether's blood boil, filling him with courage. "He doesn't want to come with you, he'll stay with me." The usually calm ghoul growled and flashed his claws at her. "He is not supposed to be here, he is feral. He can't be trusted. Leave, or I will make you regret it." She threatened, seemingly not affected by his display of aggression.

"He's not fucking feral, he's terrified of you." Aether gestured to Dewdrop, who was curled up behind him. "If he's not feral, why was he stomping around like a predator?" Sister Imperator shot back. "He got angry and took a walk to cool off, predators don't do that." Sister Imperator seemed to consider this.

"You're right. If he proves himself to be a well-behaved ghoul, I will set him free. But if I will banish him if he misbehaves. Do we have a deal?" She proposed, eyeing the crying ghoul behind him. "Deal, I will personally ensure he won't misbehave."

"That's settled then. Good day." She nodded at Aether, walking past them and making a disgusted face at Dewdrop's display of weakness. Aether waited until she was out of sight before dropping down next to Dewdrop, pulling him onto his lap. "She's gone, you're safe." Dewdrop whimpered and buried his face in Aether's neck, clinging to his shirt. The bigger ghoul felt a wet spot form on his shirt, now stained with Dew's tears. "Do you want to get out of here?" He felt Dew jerk his head in a nodding motion. "Alright, up we go. Just hold on, I have just the place to help you calm down." Aether lifted the trembling ghoul up, pressing a kiss to his hair. He walked through the halls to his favourite room in the building; a forgotten music studio. Dewdrop clung to the strong ghoul, soaking up the comfort he provided. 

Finally, they made it to the slightly open door. Aether pushed it open with his foot, the lights flickering on above them. He set Dewdrop down on a dusty chair, kneeling down in front of him. "I'd like to show you something, okay? I have to grab something, but I"ll be right back." Dewdrop took a shuddering breath, shaking his head wildly. "Sweetheart, you'll be able to see me the entire time, look over there. There's only one door here and I'll be on the opposite side of the room, so I can't leave. I'll stay close to you, it won't take a minute. Okay?"

Dewdrop nodded jerkily, tears still falling down and hiccuping a sob every so often. "Good, keep your eyes on me, I'll stay close," Aether promised, slowly backing up until he was out of arm's reach. He quickly walked off, picking up an acoustic guitar from the back of the room. He grabbed a chair on his way back, sitting down in front of Dew, who looked at him with big eyes. "Here, I found this some months back and I've been teaching myself ever since. Do you want to hear?" 

After getting Dewdrop's confirmation, Aether started showing him the things he'd learned. The once upset ghoul watched entranced, eyes following his every move.

They went on for hours, Aether having shared almost all of his knowledge with the small ghoul. "I guess you liked that, huh? Would you like me to teach you later?" "Yeah, that's so cool, I'd like that." Dewdrop replied, having forgotten all about the horrible events of that afternoon.

"Great, we'll do that tomorrow! Do you want to get dinner together? Since you're allowed out now." Dewdrop froze, his mind flashing back to what had happened. "You stood up for me. Thank you. What did you say to her?"

"We just made a deal, she said you're feral, you just have to prove that you're not. You can stay as long as you behave yourself, which should be easy." Aether explained calmly, not wanting to upset the smaller ghoul. "It's easy, I know you can do it. And I'll be with you every step of the way." He smiled and grabbed the skinny hands in his own, rubbing the tops in a comforting manner.

"How could you not think I'm feral? I tried to kill you when you tried to help me, remember?"

"Dew, I spent an entire week with you, you've been nothing but nice. You're my best friend, I know you can prove her wrong." Aether's heartfelt words reassured the nervous ghoul, whose tail was kicking up dust due to its nervous swishing. "Thank you." Dewdrop pulled the bigger ghoul into a hug, showing his gratitude. "Don't mention it. Dinner?" Aether asked once they pulled back. "Hell yeah, I'm so curious about the rest of the building, you'll have to show me everything!" 

"Well, I already showed you some of the most important bits. But I could give you a small tour after dinner." Dewdrop smiled at that, pulling him towards the door. "Yes, now show me the way to the food!" Aether chuckled and led him down the halls, still holding Dew's hand. 


	3. Making Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, two things.  
> 1) I changed their ages to (about) 20 for Dew, and 27 for Aether. I know this isn't accurate, but I felt being younger would suit Dewdrop's personality and habits more. And I felt uncomfortable keeping Aether at 41, the age difference would be too creepy. Aether isn't supposed to be a predator, and I will write him as mature and supportive as possible, I'm trying to depict healthy relationships here.  
> 2) There are vague descriptions of guitar lessons in here, that's because I know absolutely nothing about music. I just think some things sound cool, so there won't be any in-depth lessons on the subject.

"Aeth, wake up!" Aether swatted at the thing poking his face, didn't it realize he was busy sleeping? "Come on, you promised to teach me today!" Dewdrop whined next to him, poking his face again. He cracked one eye open, looking at Dewdrop who was perched at the edge of his bed. "Dew? What time is it?" "6 AM, get up! I want to learn!" Aether groaned and buried his head in his pillow, he really should've seen this coming.

The small ghoul could be so excitable, he definitely didn't care about social norms or other ghoul's beauty sleep. "Dew, it's way too early for this shit, come lay back down." He blindly flung his arm around, grabbing the back of Dew's neck, and pulled him down in his embrace. However, Dewdrop didn't appreciate being Aether's teddy bear right now, he wanted to learn the guitar stuff too! "Please Aeth, you promised!" The smaller ghoul whined, tickling his nails along Aether's exposed side.

The half-asleep ghoul yelped, shoving his attacker away. Dewdrop fell to the ground with a loud thump while Aether shot up, looking down at the shocked ghoul. "You _pushed_ me!" "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! Are you hurt?"

"Oh, you're gonna get it!" Dewdrop sat up with a smirk, tail swishing behind him, making Aether think of a big cat that's about to pounce on its prey. But his still asleep brain didn't make the connection fast enough, gasping in surprise as Dewdrop jumped onto him with a playful growl. Claws sunk into the meat of his shoulders as he looked up at Dewdrop's fangs, almost dripping drool onto his chest. Aether gulped, from this angle he could definitely see how someone might expect Dewdrop to be feral, he looked like a perfectly trained predator, toying with its prey. His pupils were huge, taking in Aether's scared expression.

Dew leaned in and sniffed his neck, making eye contact with Aether as he licked his lips. "You smell scared, it's delicious." He dragged his tongue up the side of his face, leaving a slimy trail in its wake. Aether shuddered, scared and incredibly turned on at the same time. As Dew sat back on Aether's hips, he felt him freeze, his erection beneath him. He quickly rolled off of the big ghoul, who rubbed his hands over his face, wiping them on the sheets with a frown. "Sorry, I was just playing around." Dew avoided eye contact, playing with the end of his tail.

"It's okay. I'm gonna take a shower, do you want to practice after that?" Aether offered, trying to ignore what just happened. He hoped Dew would just assume he had morning wood, but he feared the small ghoul would call him out on his attraction towards him. "Yeah, I'll get dressed." Dew had already stood up and was sorting through "his" pile of clothes.

"We should get you some new clothes today too, so you can wear something that actually fits." Dewdrop looked at him, a betrayed look on his face. "But your sweaters are so comfortable!" This made Aether laugh. "Feel free to borrow them any time, they look great on you!"

Dewdrop blushed as Aether walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He let his wet hair down for his bun, combing it out. He secretly wished Aether would comb his hair, but he didn't want to bother the bigger ghoul with silly requests like that. He got by on his own for thousands of years, why should one (admittedly very nice) ghoul change that? He vowed to be more independent from now on, he had been acting so pathetic the past few days, and he didn't want Aether to think he's some pussy who can't take care of himself. Shrugging on a very oversized sweater, Dewdrop looked down at himself. Maybe Aether was right, some better-fitting trousers couldn't hurt.

Aether emerged from the bathroom with only his underwear on, steam curling around him. Dew turned around, giving the bigger ghoul some privacy to get dressed, but he couldn't be blamed if he snuck in a few quick peeks. He knew Aether was very strong, he could lift and carry Dew without breaking a sweat, making him fantasize about Aether using his strength in different ways. Pushing him up against the wall, carrying him to bed…

"Are you ready to go?" Aether's question disturbed his thoughts, making him flush, hoping the baggy sweatpants would hide his boner. "Yeah, lead the way!" Dew replied, happy to have an excuse to walk behind the other ghoul.

Once they got to the music room, Aether gave him a quick rundown on the basics and handed him the guitar. Leaning over from behind him, Aether corrected Dew's finger placement, his breath hot on his neck. Suddenly, Dew couldn't be more grateful to have something covering his lap. The bigger ghoul seemed totally unaware of his growing problem and kept adjusting his fingers. "Like that, now try this." Aether moved his right arm down, producing a sound from the guitar. Dewdrop looked up at him, eyes glimmering. "I love it, teach me everything you know."

They spent hours practising together. "Hey, Dew? It's getting late and we still need to get you some clothes, and I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty hungry. Do you want to take a break and maybe read up on guitars in the library later?"

"Oh, has it been 5 hours already? But I'm having so much fun…" Dewdrop pouted, wanting to keep playing. "No, you need to eat. My clothes barely fit you as it is!" Aether shot back, pulling the guitar from Dew's hands. "Come on, it'll be here when we get back."

"Fine, but promise we'll come back tomorrow?" Aether couldn't deny those puppy eyes and relented. "Sure, if that's what you want!" They walked to the mess hall, Dew happily chatting away about how much he enjoyed that morning. This continued all the way through breakfast/lunch, Aether just smiled and listened to the joyous ghoul, the scent of cinnamon surrounding them.

Full of great food, they headed to the tailor who told them he'd have Dew's clothes ready before dinner. The small ghoul was told to undress, so the old tailor could get his sizes right. His lithe body on full display, Aether looked on in fascination (horniness) as Dewdrop got measured. His lack of height was compensated by his legs that went on for years, the hills and valleys of his chest curved into a tiny waist. He started to fantasize about exploring every little curve or bump with his tongue, eventually learning them by heart.

His fantasies got interrupted by Dewdrop moving off the platform and sliding back into his oversized clothes, thanking the tailor in the meantime. Aether nodded at him and followed his friend out.

"Wait, what did you order?" Aether asked, confused as to how he had missed that entire conversation. "Oh, I just pointed out some cool looking things he had laying around. He said that he had so much stuff left in my size, that's definitely one good thing about being this skinny I guess. So we'll be getting most of his designs tonight."

"That's great, what do you want to do while we wait?"

"Do they have books about guitars in the library?" Dewdrop bounced on his feet, barely able to contain his excitement. Aether laughed in reply, pulling him towards the library. "You're insatiable!"

The heavy sound of books hitting the table rang through the silent library, making a few ghouls look up in irritation. "Dewdrop, you have to be silent, people are trying to concentrate." Aether hissed at him. "Sorry, I didn't know." Dewdrop whispered back, grabbing the first book from the pile.

They read together for hours, discussing the information. Then, they stumbled upon a book, a spell written on the inside of the cover. "What is it for?" Dewdrop asked, not able to read Ghoulish. Aether translated it for him. "Basically, it's to ask Satan to give you magical musical talent. But like every deal with the Devil, you have to do something for Him in return. I think it says start a band, but it might also be, uhh, murder a duck. I think it's the band one, why would He want you to kill a duck?" Dewdrop laughed, shaking his head. "How can you not tell the difference between those two?!"

"I can't help it, the letters are smudged!" Aether defended himself and pointing at some blurry text. "It's ridiculous either way. Come on, I think your clothes must be done by now."

Back in Aether's room, they looked at the 5 big bags of clothes. "I didn't expect him to actually give you all of his designs. I have absolutely no idea how we're going to fit all this in my closet." Aether opened a bag and put the clothes on his bed. "Wait, why is everything black?"

"Because I like black? And most of the bags are spares, there's supposed to be 2 bags with things I picked out. We could put the other 3 under the bed or something." Dewdrop explained while rummaging through the bags. He pulled out a piece of clothing with a triumphant sound. "Finally, trousers that will fit me! I'll be right back!" He flew past Aether, the bathroom door slamming behind him. The big ghoul just chuckled and shook his head, enjoying the whirlwind of enthusiasm that was Dewdrop.

"Ta-da!" The bathroom door swung open, revealing Dewdrop's body, clad in incredibly tight leggings, Aether's oversized sweater still hanging off his skinny frame. "It's so comfortable, and look, it's not baggy on me!" Dewdrop lifted the sweater to show the waistband, accidentally also showing the fact that he definitely wasn't wearing underwear underneath the skintight pants. Aether's brain short-circuited, leaving him gaping at the display of legs in front of him. "Yeah, Dew, they look great on you." Dewdrop grinned at him, slowly spinning around to show how absolutely amazing his butt looked in the tight pants. He hoped to seduce Aether like this, it had to work.

"Woah! Does my butt always look this good?" Dewdrop gave it a little slap, watching it jiggle, making Aether groan internally. Was his friend trying to kill him?

"I don't know, Dew. How about we put your clothes away and then go get dinner?" Aether proposed, hoping to distract Dew from whatever he was trying to do to Aether. The events of this morning had been plaguing him all day already, he really didn't need another sexual fantasy joining in. Dew's ears drooped down in disappointment, why didn't Aether want him? "Yeah, let's do that." He agreed, walking over to one of the bags to start sorting.

Aether noticed the smaller ghoul's body seemed to crumble in and knew he had hurt his friend, he needed to fix the situation before he could convince himself Aether didn't like him. "The pants look great on you though, they seem very comfortable too." He said with a smile, hoping to soothe Dewdrop. The small ghoul's ears perked up, and he let out a happy chirp, his tail swishing behind him again. "Thank you!"

This surprised Aether, grown-up ghouls never chirped or trilled at each other, which was reserved for kits. He couldn't remember the last time he had done something like that. "Hey, how old are you? I don't think we ever told each other."

"Uhm, I don't really know. I might be about 2.500 years old? I can't even remember my birthday, so there's really no telling." Aether gasped, mentally doing the math. That would be only 20 years old to humans, no wonder why the smaller ghoul could be so impulsive and childlike.

"Well, how about we make your birthday the day you escaped? We'll celebrate your freedom each year." Aether proposed. "I love it, thank you!" Dewdrop launched himself at Aether, tangling them together in a big hug. 

After having spent maybe a bit too long enjoying each other's embrace, they pulled away. "So how old are you? You didn't tell me either." Dewdrop accused, pointing a sharp claw at Aether. "I'm 27 in human years, I stopped keeping track of the years in hell when I came here." Dewdrop tilted his head at him curiously. "Is that much older than me?"

"Well, I guess you're around 20 years old here, so not too much." Aether hoped his friend wouldn't care about the age difference too much, he didn't want something as trivial as that driving them apart. "Oh. That's not bad!" Dewdrop chirped again as he walked over to his own bag and began sorting again. Aether smiled and went back to organizing the bag in front of him.

Sorting and putting away the clothes didn't take too long, the ghouls spent most of the time chatting and joking around.

They walked down the halls again, fully absorbed in their own conversation until they got to the mess hall. "How about you go reserve a table, and I'll get us some food okay?" Aether asked, nodding at a secluded table at the back of the room. "Okay! Get me a steak, please? Bloody!" Dewdrop replied, already walking in the direction of their table. Aether laughed and nodded, mentally preparing himself to clean off the blood from Dew's face after dinner. He would make sure to bring extra napkins.

Dewdrop sat down, watching Aether get in line at the other side of the room. Having some time to himself, his mind wandered back to the spell they read that afternoon. Wouldn't it be cool to play guitar in a band? They would get to travel the world, share so many new experiences. He wouldn't mind working for the Dark Lord. He mentally weighed out the pros and cons to it, absolutely lost in his own head.

Aether sat down in front of Dewdrop, sliding a plate over to him, but he didn't even seem to notice that Aether had joined him. "Hey, are you okay?" The bigger ghoul touched his arm, worried something had happened. Dewdrop shot up with a yelp, showing his fangs before he realized he wasn't being attacked. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." Dewdrop apologized, sinking back into his chair. "Yeah, I noticed. What were you thinking about?" Aether wondered. "Remember that spell from this afternoon?" Dewdrop asked. "Yeah, what about it?" Aether looked confused, not expecting this to be the thing on Dew's mind.

"I kinda want to do it, imagine us being in a band! We would travel the world together! Don't you want to play the guitar every night?" Dewdrop gushed, his tail excitedly swinging behind him. Aether chuckled, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "Well, I might've placed that book there on purpose. I read it when I first got here, but I was scared to try it alone. I've dreamt about being in a band ever since I first read about them." Aether admitted. "So you want to do it too?" Dewdrop bounced on his chair, making some other ghouls shoot dirty glares at them. Thankfully Dew didn't seem to notice the other ghoul's disapproval. "Sure! But please eat your food first, it's getting cold." Aether pointed at Dew's plate. Dewdrop looked down at it in shock, apparently not having realized it was there all along. "Oh, thank you!" He chirped before digging in, the juices already dripping down his face.

Aether sighed fondly before starting on his own food, the younger ghoul could be so messy and distracted sometimes, but he didn't mind at all. Aether felt lucky to finally be able to take care of someone, none of the other ghouls allowed him to do so. He smiled at Dewdrop, who seemed to be enjoying himself. The sight of red liquids running down his face reminded Aether of that morning, and how feral Dewdrop had looked. "Why did you do that this morning?" 

Dewdrop looked up and tried to clean his face with a dirty claw, which made Aether quickly pass him a napkin. "What do you mean?" 

"You behaved so wild, why did you do that?" Aether asked calmly, not wanting to scare the ghoul in front of him. "I was just joking around, why?" Dewdrop cocked his head, he didn't expect his friend to bring it up, especially considering the awkward situation that had followed the incident. "Well, I've never seen another ghoul behave like that before. I guess I'm not really used to it. Is that how your tribe plays?" 

Dewdrop seemed to deflate, pushing his empty plate away with a scowl. "I guess. I'm going to take a shower." He stormed off before Aether could reply, leaving him stunned in his seat. "What the hell just happened?" He wondered to himself. Deciding to give Dew some space, he slowly finished his food, though it didn't taste as good as it did before. 

Taking the long way back to his room, Aether pondered over what he would say to the smaller ghoul. He wanted to apologize for offending him, but also what had happened for him to react that strongly to a simple question. He feared Dew would think he was overstepping and become even angrier. Aether found himself in front of his door, knocking before entering, not wanting to upset the small ghoul even more. He sat down next to Dewdrop, who was curled up tightly. "Hey, I'm sorry if I offended you, I really didn't mean to. I understand it might be a touchy subject for you, even if I don't know why. You don't have to tell me, but I'm here if you ever want to talk about it, okay?"

Aether laid his hand on Dewdrop's back, wanting to comfort him. This made the skinny ghoul turn around, looking up at Aether before nuzzling his face into his leg. "You're the best friend ever. I'm sorry for reacting like that. I really don't like talking about it, thank you for respecting that." Aether smiled down at him and started petting his hair. "Do you want to have a movie night? We can figure out the band stuff tomorrow." Dewdrop nodded, pulling the blanket over his skinny frame. Aether leaned down and kissed his head before getting up. "I'll go brush my teeth, do you want me to bring you some water?" 

"Yes please. May I pick the movie?" Dewdrop used his best puppy dog eyes, the only part of him that was visible from underneath the blanket. Aether swooned internally, nodding in confirmation before closing the bathroom door. He heard Dewdrop's excited footsteps running over to his movie collection. He wondered what the small ghoul would pick. 

A few minutes later, Aether joined Dewdrop back in bed. He handed over the bottle of water, before raising his arm, allowing Dewdrop to slip underneath it. He felt the skinny ghoul begin to purr as the movie started, his eyes fixed on Dew's face that was illuminated by the screen. He never wanted this to end, basking in Dewdrop's sweet cinnamon scent and feeling his purrs vibrate through his body. And who could blame them if they fell asleep before the movie ended?


	4. Message To The Clergy

Aether woke up to something heavy on his chest, as he opened his eyes to identify the source of the weight he was met with Dewdrop's sleeping face. He found himself completely immobilized due to the smaller ghoul having a vice-like grip on his upper body. Dewdrop apparently used him as his own mattress, drooling into his chest with his tongue sticking out a bit. Aether didn't mind though, he was happy to be of service. He decided to go back to sleep, no need to wake up a very comfortable-looking ghoul.

* * *

Dewdrop slowly awoke, about an hour after Aether first woke up. He jerked up after becoming aware of his death grip on the ghoul underneath him. This woke up the bigger ghoul, who immediately tugged him back into his chest while scanning the room. "What's wrong?" He asked frantically, looking for the danger. "Nothing? I just realized I was probably crushing you. You can let go now…" Dewdrop sounded uncomfortable, making Aether release him immediately. "Did I hurt you?" He fought the urge to check over the small ghoul, who rolled off and laid next to him. "What? No, of course, you didn't hurt me. I just don't want to crush you!"

"I really doubt you could actually crush me. I didn't mind, you're like a free weighted blanket." Aether pulled him close again, hugging him like a life-sized teddy bear. "And even if you could crush me, it'd be the best way to go." He admitted, taking in the sweet scent Dewdrop put out.

They laid like that for a while, before Dewdrop began complaining. "I'm hungry, we should go get breakfast." Aether grunted in reply, not in the mood to stop their very comfortable cuddle session. The smaller ghoul whined as he tried to get free. "Aether, come on, let me go!" 

"Fine, do you want to shower first?" Dewdrop nodded and got up, gathering his clothes for the day, picking out sinfully tight jeans again before he headed to the bathroom.

Aether waited for the bathroom door to close before let his hand wander down his body and into his underwear, cupping his half-hard dick. He sighed at the pressure and mourned the loss of alone time. Gaining a friend was one of the best things to ever happen to him, but he missed jerking off in peace. He started stroking himself faster now, hoping he could cum before Dewdrop finished in the bathroom. Muffling his groans into the pillow, he found Dewdrop's lingering scent. He inhaled deeply and imagined the skinny ghoul riding him. Dew would look so pretty on his cock, flushed and begging for more.

Lust clouded his head, seemingly push he needed. He groaned, cum shooting into his underwear. Still panting while he listening for Dewdrop, he hoped he wouldn't get caught. Then, he heard the tap running for a few seconds before shutting off. The door creaked open a few seconds later and Dewdrop stepped out, heading over to their shared closet. This gave Aether a chance to escape unnoticed, which he gladly took.

Dewdrop finished his shower fairly quickly and nearly opened the door when he heard his friend moan, the sound going straight to his dick. He debated waiting it out, but he could also join Aether in some much-needed personal time... He quickly unzipped his pants again and pulled out his straining erection. It had been so long since he touched himself, the relief flooding through him like a drug. A breathy whimper escaped him before he muffled his sounds by sliding his fingers into his mouth, imagining they were Aether's.

He listened at the door, hoping to catch more of Aether's noises. He wasn't disappointed, the ghoul on the other side of the door didn't seem ashamed; moaning like a porn star. The noises fed Dew's imagination, thinking about all the things he would do to his friend in hopes of drawing out those pretty moans. It wasn't long before he shot his load all over his bare chest with a whimper. Leaning against the wall on unsteady legs, he used a tissue to wipe it off.

After splashing some cold water onto his face, he checked for sounds coming from the other room. It seemed Aether had finished as well. Opening the door slowly, Dewdrop walked to the closet and studied his shirts, his back turned to Aether to give him some privacy.

Hearing the door close again, Dewdrop grabbed a shirt and sat down on the bed, enjoying the afterglow of a great orgasm. His legs still felt like jello, but he wouldn't complain, he missed the feeling during his imprisonment. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he put on his shirt and waited for Aether to finish up so they could have breakfast.

* * *

Breakfast was a quick affair, both of them too excited about performing the spell to really enjoy their food. They kept shooting excited glances at each other, sharing an inside joke. They practically ran to the library after they finished their breakfast, no longer wanting to wait.

Bursting into the library seemed to be a mistake, the noise startled some ghouls awake from where they had fallen asleep at their desks somewhere during the night. Aether grinned sheepishly at them, while Dew dragged him along to where they had found the book first. After a quick search, Dewdrop found it tucked away behind another book, waving it at Aether while he scurried over to an unoccupied desk.

Dewdrop opened the book, flipping to the spell as Aether approached him. He shot an impatient look at the bigger ghoul, who arrived within seconds. "Calm down, we have all day. Now, what do we need?" Aether asked, scanning the page. He reached over to a conveniently forgotten notepad and pen, translating the scripture quickly as Dewdrop looked on. The smaller ghoul seemed to be a ball of nervous energy, nearly vibrating out of his chair as his tail swished behind him. "What does it say?" He tugged on Aether's arm, trying to get him to hurry up. "Dewdrop, calm down. I'm doing this as fast as I can." The big ghoul reminded him. This made Dew more tolerable, finally settling down next to Aether.

"'M sorry, I didn't mean to rush you, I'm just excited." He said after a minute, sounding dejected. Aether turned to him and laid his hand on the skinny shoulder. "Hey, I'm not angry? I want to get it done too, sorry if I snapped at you." He moved his hand to scratch at the base of Dew's ear, trying to cheer him up. It seemed to work pretty well, the smaller ghoul chirped happily before purring softly. Aether turned back to the book, now scribbling down the notes with one hand, the other one still scritching Dew's scalp and ears.

They sat like that for a few minutes before Aether declared the translation to be complete. Dewdrop perked up from where he had slid down in his chair, eagerly looking over the spell. "So we need our instruments of choice, a candle, and something to draw the pentagram with. That's easy." He laughed. "Let's go get that stuff!" Dewdrop exclaimed, pulling on Aether's arm.

"Stop for a second. Don't we need to put back the book? We don't want others to find out about our plans, right?" This made Dewdrop stop dead in his tracks, realizing Aether was right. "Oh, yeah."

He waited for Aether to put away the book, pocketing the note with the translated text on it. "Can we go now?" He tapped his foot impatiently, his tail swishing behind him and nearly hitting an innocent ghoul over the head. Aether quickly led him away, fearing for the safety of the other ghouls if he made his friend wait any longer. "Yes, let's go get the stuff!"

* * *

Collecting the required items had been easy, they made their way into the music room, armed with some paint and a stolen candle from the last Satanic Ritual.

"So, we just draw a pentagram on the guitar and light the candle in the middle?" Dewdrop asked. "Yes, I guess He really wants people to make a band for Him I guess." Aether shrugged, as he grabbed the guitar and placed it in the middle of the room. Dewdrop knelt down next to it, drawing on the pentagram with his finger and sucking off the paint after finishing the drawing. Aether looked horrified. "Why would you do that?!"

"Hmm? Do what?" Dewdrop seemed preoccupied with licking his fingers clean from the last bits of paint. "Eat paint!"

"It smelled nice, it tastes nice too." Dewdrop shrugged, not understanding why it was such a big deal to Aether. "It's not supposed to taste good, it's toxic to humans!" The bigger ghoul defended, looking incredulous. "Well, we're not human, so I'll be fine." Dewdrop said as he placed the candle in the pentagram.

"Anyway, are you ready to begin?" He asked, whilst playing with a small flame on the tip of his finger. Aether nodded, motioning for his friend to light the candle. Dewdrop obeyed and stepped back after watching the candle start to burn.

They watched as the paint started to glow red, indicating that the spell was working. Suddenly, the room filled with smoke as they saw Him.

"Children, what can I do for you?" His deep voice shook the room. Dewdrop shakily reached out and grabbed Aether's hand tightly. "Father, we both desire to play the guitar in a band. We wish to honour Your name with our music. Would You please give us the required skills, and help us start Your band?" Aether requested, clinging onto his friend's sweaty hand.

Satan seemed to consider the question before nodding. "I will always help you, my children. Please bring your leader to me, I will enlighten her of our agreement." Aether bowed before Him before leaving. "Yes, Father. We will be back as soon as possible." They turned around and walked calmly out of the room, but broke into a sprint after the door fell closed behind them.

Panting, they arrived at Sister Imperator's door. They had half the mind to knock before pulling it open. "Sister! The Dark Lord wants to speak with you, come quickly!" Aether yelled, scaring the woman.

"What?" She whispered, not believing what the ghoul just told her. "Just come!" Dewdrop yelled before marching over and tugging her along, too impatient to explain the situation.

Aether shrugged, the smaller ghoul was right, they didn't have enough time to explain the situation, they just had to rely on Lucifer for that. He followed them down the halls, hurrying back to the music room.

They opened the door carefully, immediately greeted with thick smoke curling around their feet. "Sister, how nice of you to join us. Sit down, we have a lot to discuss." His deep voice announced. "Yes, my lord." She replied, folding her trembling hands in her lap as she sat down in front of Him. "First of all, I'd like to thank you for your service. You have been a great asset to me for years now. Your ghouls have summoned me here to propose an offer: They asked me to play in a band, singing out their devotion to me every night in hopes of converting more humans. I have decided to accept their offer, I trust you will help them in every step of the way. I will send up more ghouls to form the band and will provide all the information you will need to manage them and their music. I think the Cardinal might make a great singer, inform Copia of his new duties. Do you have any more questions?" For such a rumoured evil being, Satan was pretty polite, Aether noted. He watched as Sister Imperator shook her head, a blush covering her cheeks.

"No, Your Majesty. Everything is quite clear. I expect you will send the other ghouls with more information shortly?" She replied, sounding confident, even in front of Him.

"I will. I expect you to be in charge of the band, do not disappoint me." He looked at her as he uttered the threat. Dewdrop saw her shiver at the intensity of His gaze.

"Yes, my Lord." She bowed her head as she answered him.

He nodded once before he stood up, signalling his leave. They arose with him, showing their respect together. "Hail Satan!" They spoke together, watching as He disappeared in a thick cloud of smoke.

Sister Imperator took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, looking very overwhelmed. "I can't get angry with you, not when you have His approval, but I can't believe you just did this. You're dismissed, I'll call you when the other ghouls arrive."

Dewdrop reached for Aether's hand, wanting to make a quick exit before she changed her mind. "Thank you, Sister." Aether spoke before they left the room, immediately booking it down the halls until they reached Aether's room.

"I can't believe it worked! We're in a band!" Dewdrop hugged his friend tightly, showing his excitement. Aether just let it happen, smiling widely at Dew. "We fucking did it, didn't we?" He asked in amazement, wrapping his arms around the small ghoul and twirling them around the room.

They collapsed on the bed, laughing hysterically, still in disbelief.

"I wonder when we'll meet the new ghouls. Do you know Copia?" Dewdrop wondered, looking over at Aether.

"I think I spoke with him a few times, he's pretty friendly. He has a lot of rats as pets and mostly keeps to himself." Aether recalled, suddenly glad that they didn't have to work with any of the previous Papa's. They had always intimidated him.

"Well, I hope they'll all be nice..." Dewdrop said nervously, he hadn't interacted with many ghouls on the surface yet. The bigger ghoul was nervous too, he hadn't made any friends on earth either, and he feared the new ghouls wouldn't like him. He didn't want Dewdrop to worry about that, but he couldn't help the nagging voice in the back of his own mind. Aether tried to shake it off and laid his hand on Dew's shoulder, making him look at the big ghoul. "I'm sure they'll love you." Dewdrop smiled at those words, he hoped Aether would be right. "Thank you, I really hope so!" He said as he cuddled up to Aether.

They settled into a comfortable silence, Dewdrop busy imagining the future band while Aether was plagued by fears. What if the other ghouls wouldn't like him, and what if they would like Dewdrop. Would Dewdrop leave him for the new ghouls? That would leave him alone again, but it would be worse this time, as he had just learned how wonderful it was to have a friend. Aether fought back tears and wrapped his arms tightly around the small ghoul, who trilled happily at the contact. That settled it, nobody would take his friend away, not without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to my lovely boyfriend for being incredibly supportive and helping me whenever I get stuck. He's actually the one who came up with the summoning Satan bit 🥰


	5. Introductions

A sharp knock on their door woke up the entangled ghouls, who had fallen asleep somewhere after their discussion about the new band. Aether got up and opened his door, glaring at whoever dared disturb them. A ghouleh stood before him, seemingly unfazed by his irritated look. "Sister Imperator demands you to meet her in her office, you have guests." She announced before walking off.

Dewdrop jumped up from the bed, obviously excited. "Do you think the others arrived? We need to meet them!" He was halfway out of the door before Aether stopped him with a gentle hand. "Don't you want to go and freshen up first?" He suggested, herding Dew to the bathroom. "Yeah, you're right." The small ghoul agreed, following Aether's lead to brush his teeth and fix his post-nap hair.

About 10 minutes later, they stood before Sister Imperator's door, ready to meet their new bandmates. Dewdrop's nervous energy couldn't be contained, his tail swished behind him as his left foot tapped an erratic rhythm on the floor. Aether seemed less excited, his thick arms were crossed and his tail curled protectively around his thigh.

The small ghoul knocked on the heavy door, bouncing on his feet as he waited for it to open. Sister Imperator answered quickly, opening the door with a smile. "Ghouls, I have two ghouls I'd like you to meet. Please introduce yourselves and mention your musical instrument of choice." She motioned to the lineup of new ghouls.

One of the ghoulettes began. "Hi, my name is Cirrus, and this is my partner Cumulus, and we'll be handling the keyboards." The tallest ghoul continued. "I'm Mountain, and I play the drums." Next to him stood a shy-looking ghoul. "I'm Rain, I can play the bass." The last ghoul stepped forward with a big smile, spreading his arms a bit. "And I am Swiss, I can do anything!" He proclaimed with a wink towards Dewdrop, who smiled back at him.

"I'm Dewdrop, I play the guitar!" He announced, excitedly turning to Aether, waiting for his friend to introduce himself. Aether sighed before he spoke. "Aether, guitar as well." The small ghoul looked shocked, not expecting Aether to be so rude to the others.

Sister Imperator broke the awkward silence that had formed. "You will all share a special wing of the Church to encourage bonding. Aether, they will live in the empty rooms around yours, show them the way please, their nameplates have been placed on the doors." The big ghoul just grumbled in reply, turning around and walking off. Dewdrop gasped, ashamed of Aether's rude behaviour. "Just follow us!" He tried to recover the situation, the other ghouls following along hesitantly.

There wasn't much conversation on the walk over, everyone feeling the effects of Aether's sour mood. He led them over to the hallway to their rooms, storming off to his own room and slamming the door behind him.

"I'm so sorry for his behaviour, I really don't know why he's acting like this. I promise I'll talk to him about it, we really want you guys here, even though he appears like he doesn't." Dewdrop explained before making his way over to Aether's room, noticing how there was a door with his name on it too. He knocked on Aether's door, opening it when he couldn't hear a reply. "Hey, are you okay? What was all that about?" Dewdrop asked, stepping into the room and shutting the door as he looked for Aether. He found the bigger ghoul curled up on the bed, looking miserable. "Aether? What's wrong?" He was getting worried now, the bigger ghoul was acting so strangely.

"Just leave me alone." Aether had never said anything like that to Dewdrop before and he took it personally, tears welling up in his eyes. The small ghoul straightened his back before he replied. "I just want to help, we're friends right?" Aether didn't even look at him as he growled out his answer. "No. Leave me be."

This hurt Dew immensely, he didn't understand what he had done to ruin their friendship in such a short time. "Fine, fuck you too!" He exploded, storming out of Aether's room and into his new room.

Dewdrop slammed the door closed behind him, tears threatening to spill. He angrily rubbed at his eyes. A soft knock pulled him out of his spiralling thoughts. "Hey, are you okay? Can we help?" Cirrus' voice sounded worried.

He opened the door, taking in her non-threatening body language as he noticed Cumulus standing behind her. "I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay with you guys." He tried to be nice about it, it wasn't their fault that he had a hard time trusting others.

They nodded sympathetically. "Do you want a distraction? We're decorating our rooms, maybe being around others would help cheer you up?" Cumulus offered, gesturing to their doors. The small ghoul considered the offer for a second, they seemed really nice and he wanted to get to know them. Plus, if Aether really didn't want to be his friend anymore...

"I'm in! He followed the ghoulettes to their rooms, watching as they put up their decorations together. Their easy chatter definitely helped lift his mood. Swiss joined them after a while to propose his plan: a movie night to get to know each other. The three ghouls accepted excitedly, curious to learn more about their new bandmates.

They all gathered in the mess hall, eating dinner together and discussing what movie to watch. Dewdrop kept looking at the doorway, hoping his (ex?) friend would appear. He pushed his food around on his plate, listening to the other's excited chatter as he fought off tears. Suddenly, a warm hand found its way to Dew's thigh, rubbing it comfortingly. Dewdrop looked over, seeing Swiss' soft smile. "You okay?" He whispered to the smaller ghoul, who shook his head at the question. He didn't want to pretend any longer, the fact that his saviour, his crush, had rejected him stung so bad.

The conversation around them died off, all of them looking sympathetically towards the smallest ghoul. "I just don't get why he's acting like this, we were such good friends and now he's shutting me out." Keeping his voice steady was difficult, but he managed to do it, avoiding eye contact with the others.

"Well," Cirrus spoke, taking on her role as the mom friend, "I don't know Aether, but I'm sure he'll come around. Maybe he just needs some time to get used to the new situation." Dewdrop shook his head, remembering how angry Aether had sounded when he informed Dewdrop of the end of their friendship. "I don't think so, but thank you anyway. Can we please just go back to the discussion? I could use a distraction." He asked, hoping they would let the subject go.

Mountain nodded. "Sure, do you want to watch a specific movie?" It was a cheap trick, but it actually worked. Dewdrop cocked his head, tail swishing wildly behind him as he thought. "The Nun! It's a really bad horror movie and it's absolutely hilarious. The humans hated it, so we could definitely get some laughs out of it!" He exclaimed, subtly twisting his tail around Swiss' wrist.

The bigger ghoul smiled back at him, silently flirting back while the others voiced their approval. Dewdrop felt a bit better, it was nice that the others cared about him like this, even if they didn't know each other very well yet. He leaned into Swiss' solid arm as he listened to the others chat.

* * *

Aether winced as the door slammed closed behind his friend. He had really fucked up now, why didn't he just tell Dewdrop what was going on? He hadn't meant to lash out and reject the small ghoul. He laid there and wallowed until he realised he could fix this, he just needed to apologise to his friend and explain why he had acted like that. 

Aether leapt out of bed, motivated by his new plan. He threw open his door, ready to look for Dew, and immediately bumped into Swiss. The multi ghoul growled at him, showing off his sharp fangs. "Watch it." 

Aether stepped back, raising his hands in a non-threatening way. "I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry." He tried to slither past the angry ghoul, who then pressed Aether into the wall next to his door.

"Where are you going then?" He growled as he pressed his claws into the bigger ghoul's arm. Aether winced, Swiss seemed pretty feral as well, but this didn't turn him on. He feared the angry ghoul might try to fight him. Quintessence ghouls don't really hunt or fight and Aether didn't have any experience in fighting other ghouls, he was fucked.

"I need to apologise to Dew, please let me go! I'm sorry for being rude earlier." Aether pleaded, his ears flat against his scalp as he shook. His instincts were telling him to flee, but he was boxed in without a way out. The smaller ghoul shook his head before he answered. "You've said enough to Dewdrop. Stay out of his way, you don't deserve him."

Swiss pushed him back into his room, slamming the door closed behind the bigger ghoul. Aether chittered in fear on the floor, adrenaline rushing through him. He wasn't used to rough treatment and felt pretty shocked. A few deep breaths helped to calm him down a bit, ready to try to get to Dewdrop again.

He tried to open the door, only to find it sealed shut. Swiss must've placed a spell on it to keep him inside. Aether became worried, what if Swiss would use his powers to charm Dewdrop into becoming his friend. The bigger ghoul didn't want to lose his friend, especially not to such a dick as Swiss. He tried the window, finding it open. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," he told himself as he climbed out, careful not to break the delicate glass. Sister Imperator would kill him if he broke a window. 

Aether started running as soon as his feet hit the grass. He needed to get to Dewdrop before Swiss did.

He entered the building through a side entrance, quietly making his way through the darkened halls. There weren't many other ghouls around, they were probably at dinner. Aether just hoped he wouldn't run into Swiss, that probably would end in a fight which Aether wouldn't win.

Aether made his way to the mess hall, Dewdrop would probably be having dinner now, hopefully sitting at their small table in the back as he waited for Aether. The big ghoul peered in from a small window in the door, finding their table empty. Maybe Dewdrop was in his own room? Aether turned around to check Dew's room when something caught his eye: Dewdrop was leaning on Swiss' shoulder, laughing at his jokes.

Aether's shoulders slumped as his tail hung limply, he was too late. He'd lost his best friend to Swiss, exactly the thing he was most scared of. He swallowed a whimper as he watched Swiss kiss the top of Dew's head, who blushed at the sweet gesture. Aether wanted to cry, he had fucked up his one chance at having a mate, someone to laugh with, someone to spoil and care for, sleep and cuddle with. Dewdrop was on his way to giving everything Aether had ever wanted, and he had screwed it up in one minute.

Swiss turned his head towards the door, looking straight at Aether, who winced as he prepared himself for a fight. Instead, Swiss just winked at him, enjoying his "prize". Dewdrop seemed blissfully unaware, resting his head on Swiss's shoulder and his tail curled around his wrist.

Aether hiccuped a sob, the realisation that he had lost it all hitting him full force. He spun on his heel and ran back to his room, not wanting anyone to see him like this.


	6. New Rules

"What were you looking at?" Dewdrop asked innocently after Swiss had turned back to him. "I thought I saw something, but I didn't." He explained vaguely. The small ghoul shot up, trying to get up. "Maybe it was Aether!" Swiss pulled him back into his side, wrapping his tail around the skinny waist. "I told you, it was nothing. Aether probably needs his space right now."

The other ghouls looked at each other, worried about how Swiss suddenly seemed to be treating Dewdrop. They all wanted the two friends to fix their relationship, Dew was incredibly sad without Aether, but now it seemed like Swiss was trying to keep them apart.

Cirrus placed a gentle hand on Dew's arm. "Maybe Swiss is right, how about you try tomorrow morning, that way you can think about how you want to approach him. I suspect Aether will have calmed down by then too." Her warm voice calmed Dewdrop down, he chittered at her as his ears relaxed against his long hair. She smiled and scritched the top of his head. He nearly crawled into her lap at that, only hindered by Swiss' tail still tightly wrapped around his middle.

The whole table smiled at the sweet display, simultaneously impressed with how easily Cirrus made the small ghoul calm down and relax. Only Swiss seemed irritated as he growled while hooking his arm around Dew's shoulders again, pulling him out of his relaxed state. The others shot him a disapproving look, definitely not amused by his possessive display.

"So, how about that movie?" He suggested in hopes of diverting their attention, which didn't really work. Most ghouls still looked unsettled at Swiss' weird behaviour. Even the smaller ghoul looked mildly uncomfortable with his tail still curled around Cirrus' ankle.

Mountain broke the awkward silence as he stood up, pulling Rain along with him. "Yeah, we'll get the snacks ready!" Both of them headed towards the kitchen.

Cumulus stroked a sad-looking Cirrus' back before she helped her partner up. "We'll set up the movie room, can you guys find some blankets?" It was a thinly veiled suggestion for them to talk this out, which Dewdrop gladly took. He turned to the bigger ghoul as soon as the ghoulettes left, looking upset.

"Why did you do that?" Dewdrop hissed at him. Swiss looked shocked as he tried to appease Dew. "What do you mean, sugar?" He tried to kiss the smaller ghoul's cheek, only to be slapped away.

"You being all possessive like that, it's weird." Dewdrop spoke firmly after he moved away from the confused ghoul.

"I don't get it? What's wrong? Did you want more?" Swiss looked a bit panicked, this wasn't how he expected the night to go.

"No, of course not! We just met today, you have no right to act like that." Dewdrop shot back, now showing off his fangs between words.

Swiss reached out to the smaller ghoul in hopes of calming him down, the multi ghoul wasn't used to negative reactions in response to his courting rituals. Dewdrop tensed up as he watched the approaching hands closely, swiping them with his claw when they came too close. The multi ghoul winced at the rough treatment, he didn't understand why Dewdrop was acting so hostile.

"Did you not like it?" He asked carefully. Dewdrop hissed in response as he puffed up like an angry cat. "No. I don't know what the fuck you think you're doing, but I am not yours. I'll fucking eat your entrails for breakfast if you treat me like that again."

Swiss shuddered at the threat, it wasn't hard to imagine Dewdrop carrying out the act, especially not when he looked this riled up.

"I won't, I didn't know you didn't like it. It's the standard where I'm from. Sorry for assuming you'd be okay with it."

Dewdrop cocked his head at this, he didn't expect Swiss to actually apologise, let alone reveal that this was normal for him. "That's okay, it's just really aggressive and I'm not really into that. Friends?" The small ghoul proposed as he stuck out his hand. Swiss nodded enthusiastically at this, grabbing the outstretched hand and shaking it merrily. "Friends!"

They joined the others in the common room, tails loosely curled around each other. The two friends seemed relaxed, putting the others at ease as well. Everyone except Swiss sat down in the big nest Cirrus and Cumulus had put together.

"I think I owe you guys an apology. I'm sorry for my behaviour, I grew up with people always acting that aggressively, and I didn't know that it's not very healthy. My tribe apparently had some weird customs and I'd greatly appreciate it if you guys would inform me when I do something inappropriate by accident." Swiss explained while he looked around the room, the other ghouls nodded as they seemed to accept his apology.

"Thank you for telling us, I really appreciate it and I'll make sure to tell you calmly when I think something is inappropriate. How about we make that a rule for everyone?" Cumulus answered, looking back at Cirrus after she finished speaking.

"I'd like that. Seeing as we're all from different tribes, we're bound to not agree on some social traditions. Please calmly talk through those emotions with each other to avoid awkward situations or fights happening. We're supposed to be a band after all!" Cirrus added.

The others nodded in agreement, they could all use friends who helped them adjust to their new situations.

"So, how about that movie now?" Swiss asked playfully, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and hitting play after everyone agreed.

* * *

The credits appeared on the screen as the group laughed at the movie, highlighting their favourite bits. The movie night had ended in a messy cuddle pile in the comfortable nest,

"This was supposed to be horror?" Laughed Rain, surprising the rest: The shy ghoul had appeared to be mute apart from answering questions asked by higher-ups. Mountain smiled at him, determined to not make a big deal out of it, they didn't want to scare the bassist into staying mute. "I guess so, can't say I'm very impressed though. I hope the humans made some better stuff than this."

While Rain and Mountain talked about the movie, Dewdrop crawled out from Swiss' gentle hold, his tail sticking straight up in the air like a cat's as he stretched his stiff limbs. His tongue poked out as he yawned, the sharp tips of it still visible after he closed his mouth. This made the other ghouls chuckle, Dewdrop had some pretty weird behaviours but they definitely added to his charm. The small ghoul stood up as he rubbed his eyes, looking incredibly sleepy. Cumulus could relate, it had been a tiring day. The summoning, introductions, and confusing social interactions probably left everyone feeling worn.

"How about we go to bed, it's been a long day." Cumulus suggested, receiving a relieved sigh from the small ghoul in reply. Cirrus nodded heavily next to her, exhaustion settling in. Only Mountain and Rain remained seated, animatedly chatting and oblivious to the world around them. Cumulus smiled, she was curious to see how their relationship progressed.

Swiss led Dewdrop out of the room after nodding to the two ghoulettes, walking the small ghoul back to his own room. Dewdrop leaned on him a bit, a low purr coming from his chest. The multi ghoul smiled at this, Dew was adorable. He'd be lucky to get a shot with the small ghoul, though he doubted that to happen, Dewdrop seemed very attached to Aether, even if the big ghoul had been rude to them and hurt Dewdrop today. 

Swiss stopped them in front of Dew's door, sending him inside after a hug. Dewdrop closed the door behind him before he dropped onto his bed, too exhausted to brush his teeth. He toed off his shoes before he fell asleep, the blanket pulled halfway over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please leave kudos/comments, they make my day 💖💖


	7. Without You

Dewdrop woke up with a start, tears clumping his eyelashes together when he blinked open his eyes. He shuddered in the cold room, it felt too much like his cell without Aether to warm him up. He wimpered, wrapping the blankets tightly around himself. Dewdrop longed for Aether's strong arms around him and nearly stood up to crawl into his bed before he realised that Aether didn't care about him anymore. 

The nightmare was still fresh in his mind and the rejection stung, he was alone, exactly the thing Aether had promised to never happen again. Dewdrop whimpered before he broke into sobs, claws desperatly sinking into the soft materials around him as he sought comfort but couldn't found it.   
His breathing turned erratic, interrupted by heaving sobs. Dewdrop panicked, he felt like he was drowning as he tried to gasp for air.

Aether's midnight walk hadn't helped to ease his guilt and jealousy so he'd given up, on his way back to lay in his dark room again when he heard a whimper. He was a Quintessence ghoul, hardwired to heal anyone's injuries after all.

Aether stopped dead in his tracks outside Dewdrop's door, training his ears on the sounds coming from the room. It sounded like sobbing, maybe Dewdrop needed help? But what if he was angry with Aether after he'd been so mean this afternoon. The big ghoul didn't know what to do, now pacing in the hallway as he tried to work out what to do. He was in the middle of doubting himself, mentally weighing out the pros and cons.

A heartwrenching sob decided for him, his body reacted on autopilot as he opened the door. He was met with whimpers and sobs, Dewdrop didn't even seem to notice he was there. "Dew?" Aether asked, watching as the Fire ghoul gasped and curled up tighter, his tail wound tightly around his leg and turning his foot blue.

"'m sorry, I'll be quiet." The whispered words were hard to make out through the sobs but broke his heart all the same. He stepped into the room, shutting the door behind himself.

Aether wanted to gag at the sour smell of distress that hung in the room, swallowing it down before he walked over to the bed, crouching down next to it. "What's wrong?" He asked as he placed a hand on Dew's shaking shoulder. The distressed ghoul yelped and threw himself back off the bed, landing with a heavy thud.

"Fuck! Are you okay?" Aether began to get worried now, Dewdrop showed no signs of calming down, only appearing to become more upset. He walked around the bed, kneeling down next to the small ghoul who was trying to press himself underneath the bed.

"Hey, I'm here to help, I'm not mad at you, I never was. Do you want me to go?" Aether soothed Dewdrop, who quickly shook his head, a bloody claw reaching out towards Aether from underneath the bed. The quintessence ghoul stared at the blood, trying to find the source. He noticed claw sized holes in the palm of Dew's hand, the smaller ghoul had probably accidentally hurt himself in his blind panic. Aether winced sympathetically, gently holding the hurt hand.

"Okay, I'll stay, don't worry. Do you want me to join you?"

The small ghoul nodded, clutching at Aether's shirt which was now probably filled with holes by the sharp claws. Aether gathered the pillows and blanket from the bed, pushing them underneath the bed before crawling underneath it as well. He wrapped the blanket around them both, cradling Dewdrop close as he sobbed silently.

The small ghoul was icy cold, his toes freezing through the fabric of Aether's sweatpants. The leathery texture of his tail curled around Aether's thigh, trying to anchor himself to the bigger ghoul. Aether rubbed the trembling back, making soft calming noises as Dewdrop slowly calmed down.

"Do you want to talk about it, or do you just want me to hold you?" Aether asked once Dewdrop's sobs had stopped, his face still pressed into the wet spot on his chest. He felt Dewdrop tense up at the question, claws digging into his side. "I had a n-nightmare." He admitted, clinging to the bigger ghoul as he hiccuped out the words.

Aether made a sympathetic noise, running his hands through the long hair to help keep Dew calm. "About what?" He asked gently, not wanting to pressure Dewdrop into talking about something he didn't want.

Dewdrop took in a ragged breath as his ears flattened against his hair, showing his nerves.

"Got caught, they took me back, please don't make me go back! You promised, please!" Dewdrop suddenly sounded desperate, his red eyes were frantic while his claws sunk into the bigger ghoul's flesh.

Aether paled, the realisation hitting him full force: Dewdrop had a nightmare because of him. He had broken his promise, he had been so foolish. His hands frantically pushed at shaking shoulders as he covered the small body with his own, forming a ghoulish blanket on top of Dewdrop, hands petting every inch of clammy and suddenly overheated skin he could find.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. So so sorry, I didn't mean what I said this afternoon. I promise I'll always be here for you, you're safe. I'd kill to keep you safe, I'm so sorry." He rambled, trying to assure Dewdrop (and himself). Aether relied on his instincts as he nuzzled his nose into the sharp collarbone, rubbing his scent all over the upset ghoul.

Dewdrop let out a small chirp at the comforting feeling of being scented, too wrung out to think of the implications. 

He wrapped his arms around the big frame on top of him, feeling the muscles move underneath the skin, reminding him of the other ghoul's strength. Dewdrop sighed happily, content to stay wrapped up and safe in Aether's arms forever. "Don't leave me, please."

Aether hummed, still nosing over the younger ghoul to get rid of any other lingering scents. "I won't, never." He mumbled into the soft skin, finally satisfied with his work. The other ghouls would be able to smell Aether on Dewdrop from miles away, the thought making Aether purr.

Dewdrop snuffled against his chest, his tail twitching as if it wanted to move. Aether cooed, nudging the tail towards Dew's face. He encouraged Dewdrop. "You know I don't mind, go ahead."

Dew blushed as he rested the tip of his tail against his lips, eyes searching for a sign of disapproval from Aether. The bigger ghoul just tugged him closer before reaching up to play with his ears, rubbing them in a calming motion. Dewdrop sighed happily at the feeling, his eyes falling closed as his tail slipped inside the parting of his lips. 

They laid together for a while, purring while they eagerly soaked up the comfort the other body provided. Then, Dewdrop yawned, exhaustion from the nightmare settling in. Aether opened his eyes, taking in the sleepy ghoul. "Do you want to stay here, or move to a bed?"

Dewdrop seemed to think about it for a bit before he tried to speak around the tail in his mouth, resulting in a blush covering his cheeks. "Your nest?" He asked shyly, still a bit scared that Aether would reject him again.  
Aether puffed up at the suggestion, happy that his friend apparently still felt safe with him, enough to want to share his nest. "Come on, I'll help you get up."

The big ghoul pulled Dewdrop out with gentle hands, hardly disturbing his fuzzy headspace as he floated between being awake and asleep. Dewdrop instinctively moved towards his friend once he was freed, the blanket hanging off of his shoulders as he semi-crawled. Aether melted at the sight, vowing to keep his friend safe as he scooped him close to his chest. "Gonna lift you up now, I've got you, we're going home."

Aether kept soothing the sleepy ghoul on the short walk to his own room, careful not to jostle him too much. Dewdrop suddenly let out a soft growl as he twitched in Aether's arms, trying to get free.   
"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Aether was terrified, carefully putting the other ghoul down as he checked for injuries. Dewdrop merely swayed on his feet before he fell into Aether's chest, mumbling something unintelligible.

"What did you say?" Aether supported the small ghoul, holding him upright by his arms as he leaned in. Dewdrop blushed heavily, hiding his face in Aether's neck. "Gotta pee first."

Aether smiled, sending him off to the bathroom and fixing up his sheets in the meantime. He suddenly remembered the blood on Dew's hand and grabbed a small emergency kit, ready to patch it up before it could get infected. He would have to work with the moonlight tonight, the lights would only hurt their eyes. He opened the curtains a little, the soft light flowing into the room.

Dewdrop emerged from the bathroom, apparently having spotted his wound as well, though his reaction was different from Aether's. The small ghoul licked his palm, making Aether wince. "Please don't do that, come sit down and I'll bandage it for you."

Dewdrop seemed pretty sleepy still, following the order without any kind of protest. He let Aether work on his hand, only hissing when the alcohol touched his open flesh. Aether soothed him, his warm voice was calm and gentle. "I know, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I'm almost done."

Dewdrop fell back into the soft pillows after Aether finished taking care of his hand. The bigger ghoul just smiled, the need to protect and help rushing through him whenever Dewdrop showed his vulnerable side.

Aether shoved the emergency kit aside, crawling in next to his friend and pulling him close. They tangled together, basking in the comfort they had quickly grown so accustomed to. The silence was broken by Dew's soft voice. "Thank you, for helping me."

Aether kissed the top of his head, right between his horns. "I'll always take care of you, I promised, remember?"

Dewdrop chirped at the reminder, cuddling even closer to his protector.

They still had a lot to talk about in the morning, there were so many things left unsaid, but that didn't matter now. They slept together, safe from the world in their familiar nest, the moonlight kissing their skin. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I made a Tumblr with the same name as well, I'll post updates on my fics there, so you can send me suggestions and prompts there :)


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